Hovabator Users - I need help please..

[themenagerie]

I recently purchased the 1632 (with fan) and have used it for 2 hatches..both not good. I live in New England where the climate is typically dry this time of year. For my first hatch, I went by manufacturers directions, 40-50% humidity until lockdown, then 65% or so. Of 9 eggs that went into lockdown, only 3 hatched. For my second attempt, I attempted dry incubation, humidity 30-35%, of 21 eggs went into lockdown, only 5 hatched, and one didn't make it due to a unabsorbed yolk. All eggs were viable going into lockdown.

I know I must be doing something wrong, but I'm not sure what it is... I have two digital thermometer/hygrometers, one at egg level, and one probe type, and there have been no temperature fluctuations. I have talked to someone else who said she never had successful hatches in her hovabator either. I'm hoping if there are some tricks to make these work, that the BYC guru's will offer them up to a newbie! Thanks in advance.

 

[dheltzel]

I strive to keep the RH below 30, and make sure you calibrate your hygrometer, my "Accurite" reads 8% too high, so 35% is really 27%. Also, I would suggest using an oral baby thermometer to calibrate your digital ones, just to be sure.

There is a great article here about incubation and it has lots of information and links to help you with your eggtopsies - that is really how you can narrow the list of possible problems down.

 

[themenagerie]

How do you calibrate a digital when they're not immersible in water?